The Department of Health of Dénia warns that there is a relationship between tobacco and COVID-19 and that scientific studies show that people who smoke if they are affected by COVID-19 are more likely than non-smokers to progress the disease more severe.
COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily affects the respiratory system. Scientific reviews report that tobacco is a risk factor for developing bronchopulmonary infections, as cigarette smoke and harmful substances impair respiratory function and alter defensive mechanisms for the body to fight germs, including COVID-19. .
Dr. Miguel Ángel Císcar, a pulmonologist from the Dénia Health Department, points out that: "The latest studies conclude that COVID smokers have more severe symptoms than non-smokers, with an increased risk of entering the ICU, especially with age, and an increase in mortality". In this line, the specialist emphasizes that: "The health alert has brought added stress to the population, which has caused some patients who had quit smoking to relapse and others to smoke more. For this reason, and taking advantage of World No Tobacco Day, we must emphasize that giving up tobacco is now, if possible, more important than ever, due to the relationship between tobacco and COVID-19. It is therefore a priority, both from primary and specialized care, to implement again all the measures that can help our patients in the
smoking cessation ”.
